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''Nah, he just likes wasps. Of course it's an allergic reaction!''

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THE OLD TRUCK'S engine roared as JJ pulled up to Ricky's rundown house. The battered screen door hung loosely on its hinges, and the yard looked as though it hadn't been tended to in years. Weeds sprouted in every direction, and a rusty bicycle leaned precariously against the porch railing. JJ leaned on the horn repeatedly.

''Ricky!'' JJ shouted, practically jumping out of the truck. ''Ricky! Hey! Bro!''

I followed after JJ, behind us, Sarah, John B, and Kie worked together to help Pope, whose swollen face was a terrifying shade of red. He looked barely conscious, his breathing shallow and uneven. 

''Ricky! Ricky! Hey, Ricky!'' JJ continued to yell, pounding on the door as though sheer force could will Ricky into appearing. Finally, the man himself walked up to the door, disheveled and half-asleep, wearing nothing but his underwear.

''What the hell do you want?'' Ricky snapped.

''Ricky, hey, I got a problem, bro! I know you're mad at me—'' JJ started, only to be cut off by Ricky's angry glare.

''Remember that time you stole my ambulance?!'' Ricky barked.

''Yeah, I know. I know you're mad,'' JJ stammered, throwing up his hands in mock surrender as Ricky flipped him off and began closing the door. ''No! Don't do that!''

I couldn't hold back anymore. ''Rick, I have no idea who the fuck you are, but if you don't help us out, our friend will fucking die!'' My voice came out sharper than I intended, but the fear in me couldn't hold it in me anymore.

Sarah stepped forward, her tone pleading. ''He got stung by a wasp! He's having a reaction! Please help!''

JJ banged his fist against the window now. ''He can't breathe, man!''

''He's right here, please!'' Sarah's voice cracked as she gestured to Pope, who looked like he might collapse at any moment.

Ricky paused, his eyes narrowing. ''Who can't breathe?'' he asked, finally stepping out onto the porch.

''Look at him! Help my friend!'' John B's voice shook with urgency as he and Kie hoisted Pope closer to the house. The boy's head lolled to the side, his face slick with sweat.

Ricky took one look at Pope and groaned. ''All right, Jesus Christ.''

He held the screen door open, and we all piled into his dimly lit kitchen. ''Hi. Shitty to meet you,'' I muttered as I rushed past him, clearing space on the cluttered table with Sarah. ''Hi. Sorry,'' Sarah added, brushing past with the same haste.

''You know, I wouldn't come to you if it wasn't an emergency,'' JJ muttered, hovering over Pope like a mother hen.

''Hang in there, buddy. Hang in there,'' he told Pope, who was now barely able to keep his eyes open. My stomach twisted at the sight.

''What's wrong with him?'' Ricky asked, pulling a stained towel off the back of a chair.

''Wasps,'' Sarah said quickly.

Ricky's brow furrowed. ''Wasps?''

''Yes,'' Sarah snapped.

''Wasps? Is he allergic to wasps?'' Ricky pressed.

''Nah, he just likes wasps. Of course it's an allergic reaction!'' I interjected, my frustration boiling over.

''Okay,'' Ricky said flatly, his eyes darting around the room as everyone began shouting over each other.

''Raise his legs! Raise his legs!'' JJ instructed, his hands moving instinctively to lift Pope's feet while John B helped.

''What's his name?'' Ricky asked.

''Pope,'' JJ answered hurriedly.

Ricky crouched closer to Pope's face, trying to get his attention. ''Hey, Pope? Hang tight. I gotta get my kit.''

JJ followed after Ricky as he disappeared into another room. ''Kit? Where's the kit, Ricky?''

''If I knew, I wouldn't be looking for it!'' Ricky yelled back, rummaging through piles of junk.

''Goddamn it! Well, then find it, bro!'' JJ's voice was strained, the panic taking over.

''What does it look like?'' JJ shouted.

''It's like a duffel bag!'' Ricky called back.

''I got it! I got it, I got it!'' Ricky finally reappeared, clutching a faded bag. He moved quickly, his focus narrowing as he set it down on the table.

''Okay, what do we do now?'' JJ demanded.

''You don't do anything 'cause you're not a paramedic,'' Ricky snapped. He turned his attention to Pope. ''Okay, hey, Pope. How you doing, man? You look like shit.''

Ricky pulled out a syringe. ''Here's the thing. This is a pediatric dose of epinephrine.''

''Pediatric? That's for, like, kids, right?'' John B asked, his brow furrowing.

''He's not a kid!'' Kie exclaimed, her voice rising in panic.

''It is ten times a normal dose,'' Ricky explained, glancing around at all of us. ''So if... if it doesn't stop his heart, it'll help him. But I gotta use the whole thing or it won't work. And I'm not going down if he dies.''

''Okay! Fine! Do it! Hit it!'' JJ shouted. ''Come on! Hurry up and hit him with it!''

Ricky didn't hesitate, injecting the needle into Pope's arm with a steady hand. ''Okay, um, that's it,'' he said after removing the needle.

''Now what?'' Sarah asked, her eyes wide with fear.

''Now we wait,'' Ricky replied.

''You killed him,'' Kie accused, her voice trembling.

''No,'' Ricky objected.

''Yes, you did,'' I said, glaring at him.

''I didn't do shit,'' Ricky shot back defensively.

''What did you do?'' Sarah asked, her voice rising in panic.

''I did exactly what you asked me to do!'' Ricky snapped.

''We asked you to save him, not stop his fucking heart!'' I yelled.

''Please! Please! Pope, please, come on!'' Kie begged, tears streaming down her face.

''Pope, come on, bro!'' JJ shook him lightly, his voice cracking.

''Pope? Pope, Pope, Pope?'' Kie's voice was barely a whisper now.

Pope suddenly gasped, his chest heaving as he coughed violently. Relief flooded the room.

''There he is. That's my boy right there!'' JJ exclaimed, a grin breaking across his face.

''It's hot. I'm real hot, guys,'' Pope muttered, peeling off his jacket as we all let out breaths we didn't realize we were holding.

''Yeah, like 8/10, but yeah,'' I quipped, earning a weak laugh from Pope.

''It's okay. Take it easy,'' JJ said, patting Pope's back as he struggled to sit up.

''I gotta get outside,'' Pope said abruptly, pushing past JJ.

''Simmer down,'' John B called after him, following Pope outside with Kie on his heels.

''I owe you,'' JJ said to Ricky, his tone sincere for the first time all night.

''Thank you so much,'' Sarah added as Ricky began shoving us toward the door. ''Are there any side effects we should be concerned about?''

Ricky waved us off. ''He's gonna have a rocket up his ass for about half an hour, then he'll be fine.''

Outside, Pope was already jumping around the yard. ''Let's go get that cross! Game six, baby!''

''Yeah. Yeah, game six,'' John B muttered, his eyes following Pope cautiously.

''I'm Michael Jordan!''

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

POPE WAS GRIPPING the wheel like his life depended on it, his knuckles white, eyes locked on the road ahead. Kie sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her hands braced on the dashboard, ready to intervene if Pope's enthusiasm got the better of him. In the cramped backseat, JJ, Sarah, John B, and I were pressed against each other, every bump in the road sending us colliding.

''Uh, Pope, you're driving pretty fast,'' Sarah remarked, her voice edging on nervous. Her blonde hair caught the dim glow of the dashboard lights, and I could see the tightness in her jaw.

Pope let out an exhilarated whoop, clearly not catching the hint.

''Uh, Pope, last to judge and all,'' JJ added, trying to click his seatbelt into place, ''but I think you should slow down a little.'' 

''That would definitely delay our arrival to the cross,'' Pope shot back. ''We gotta get there.''

Kie turned her head slightly, her expression caught between exasperation and concern. ''Why did we let him drive again?''

''Because I said I'd rip your ears off,'' Pope replied without missing a beat.

Sarah snorted. ''He said he'd rip our ears off.''

''You did say you were gonna rip our ears off,'' Kie chimed in.

''I was joking about that, by the way,'' Pope clarified quickly, glancing at Kie with a sheepish grin.

''That's a really funny joke,'' Kie replied, laughing nervously. Her eyes flickered toward the speedometer, and I could tell she wasn't amused.

John B leaned forward slightly, his expression part teasing and part worried. ''Hey, hey, how ya feeling, buddy? How you doing?''

Pope's response was enthusiastic. ''Uh, fantastic. I don't know what JJ's cousin gave me, but I am moving!''

''We couldn't tell,'' Kie muttered under her breath.

''Okay, well, um, you're going really fast right now,'' John B said, his brow furrowed.

''Yeah, really fast!'' Pope echoed, turning to look back at us briefly.

The truck swerved, throwing all of us to the side. ''Pope, the road!'' we shouted in unison, a chorus of panic.

John B gestured toward the dark trees lining the road. ''I don't know if you noticed, but there's these giant oak trees all along the side of the road. They're like six inches off the road.''

''You don't need to pass. You don't need to pass. You don't need to pass!'' Kie exclaimed as Pope veered into the opposite lane, attempting to overtake the car in front of us. Horns blared as we narrowly avoided an oncoming vehicle, the truck swerving violently back into our lane.

''What an asshole, right?'' Pope remarked, completely oblivious to the collective terror in the truck.

''We're not gonna get to the cross if we're dead, Pope,'' John B shot back, his tone sharp.

''We're not gonna die. It's our divine right to get that cross,'' Pope declared, his gaze flicking back at us again.

''Pope, look at the road!'' John B shouted, but it was too late. The truck jolted violently as we hit something, the screech of tires and the crunch of metal filling the air. We spun in dizzying circles before coming to an abrupt, bone-rattling stop. Silence fell, broken only by the groans of everyone in the truck.

''Is everyone okay?'' John B's voice was tight with concern as he looked around.

''I think so,'' Sarah answered weakly, her hand clutching the seat in front of her. I glanced at JJ beside me, his face pale in the dim light.

''JJ, are you okay?'' I asked, my voice tinged with worry.

He gave me a lopsided grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. ''I'm fine, Mave. You okay?''

I shrugged him off, trying to shake the nervous adrenaline buzzing in my veins. ''Yeah, I'm fine.''

JJ pushed his door open, stepping out with a groan. ''That is the last time you drive, Pope.'' He turned back to offer me a hand, but I waved him off, climbing out on my own. The cool night air hit my face, and I could feel the tension in my chest start to loosen.

Kie stood by the front of the truck, her face a mix of horror and disbelief. ''My dad's truck. No.''

JJ walked over, taking in the damage with a whistle. ''Kie, one word. Totaled.''

''My parents are gonna kill me...'' Kie whispered, her voice shaky. ''For real this time.''

''Yeah, well, weren't they already gonna do that anyway?'' JJ quipped, his tone light but not unsympathetic.

''Helpful. Thank you,'' Kie snapped, glaring at him.

''We're gonna have to walk the rest of the way,'' Pope announced, barely looking back.

''Dude,'' Sarah started, but Pope cut her off before she could say more.

''I'm going to get my cross,'' he stated firmly.

John B. darted forward, trying to reason with him. ''Just relax for a second, man.''

My sneakers scuffed against the gravel as I walked next to John B., who tried to keep up with Pope.

Pope stopped abruptly, turning to face him. ''Get off of me. Move.'' 

''No," John B. countered, his hands raised in a placating gesture. ''I'm trying to help.''

''I'm getting my shit,'' Pope snapped, brushing past him with purpose.

''We just crashed the car!'' John B. reminded him, stepping into his path again.

''Get off of me!'' Pope shouted, shoving John B. back. The sound of his voice echoed in the empty street.

''Hey! You're gonna get hit by a car!'' John B. yelled, grabbing Pope by the shoulders and shoving him off the road just as the headlights of a passing truck sliced through the darkness.

We all froze for a moment, the realization sinking in as the truck sped past. Rafe and Renfield were in it. My stomach twisted into a tight knot, dread pooling in my chest.

''We gotta get back to the church!'' Pope shouted, breaking into a run. The rest of us exchanged quick, wide-eyed glances before bolting after him. My legs burned as we sprinted through the streets, the humid air making it feel like I was breathing through a straw.

When we burst through the church doors, the sight before us made my heart sink. The cross was gone. 

''It's gone,'' Kie murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

''Damn it!'' JJ shouted, kicking a pile of cushions across the room. ''I knew I didn't hide it well enough. Damn it!''

''It's not your fault, JJ,'' I said, stepping closer to him. ''Nobody can hide a cross this big in such a short amount of time.''

''Well, we fucked up,'' JJ muttered, his voice raw with self-blame. He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, his eyes darting around like he was searching for a solution. ''We need a plan. What's the plan?''

Everyone stayed silent.

''All right, here's what we do. We'll grab some kerosene tanks from the Chat, then we go to my dad's shop and grab some dynamite.''

''JJ,'' I warned, rubbing my forehead. The idea alone was enough to make my head throb.

''And then we drive down to Charleston and tell this lady who she's messing with!''

''That's not gonna help,'' Sarah cut in.

''Well, what is, Sarah? Huh? Got a better idea?'' JJ challenged, spinning around to face her. His blue eyes were blazing.

''It's not like your idea is perfect, JJ,'' I pointed out, crossing my arms. He sighed, dropping his gaze to his feet, a rare flicker of vulnerability crossing his face.

''We can't just go blow that shit up, JJ,'' John B. added.

JJ shifted uncomfortably, then glanced at Pope. ''Pope, I'm sorry, man.''

Pope's expression softened, but the fire in his eyes didn't dim. He took a step forward. ''Denmark would've stood right here, preaching to everyone he set free. A slave, the sole survivor of the Royal Merchant, he got the gold and the cross, and he brought them both to shore. He used it to free every person who walked through those doors. He made a family, a church, a congregation, a home. And the Limbreys took everything from him. They sicced dogs on his wife and kids, and when he tried to get her remains, they hung him.''

Pope paused, his fists clenched, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. ''Well, I'm done. I'm tired of that shit. That is not how this is gonna end. We need a freaking win, guys. I'm going to get my family's cross.''

He strode toward the door, his resolve like an unmovable wall. He stopped, looking back at us. ''You guys coming?''

John B. exhaled sharply. ''Well, if you put it that way...''

JJ smirked. ''Maybe we should think about it, you know?''

''Pros and cons?'' I teased, raising an eyebrow.

''Pros and cons list,'' JJ agreed with a small laugh, his earlier anger giving way to the light-heartedness.

''Yeah, let's do a list,'' John B. added as we all started moving toward the door.

''Hell yeah, we're coming, Pope!'' JJ exclaimed.

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